New Releases: 'John Carter,' 'A Thousand Words,' 'Silent House'

On Friday, the dreams of thousands (hundreds?) will come true when "John Carter" comes to the big screen. But will the film have enough strength to top the previous weekend's No. 1?

Last Sunday, "The Lorax" surprised everyone by tallying a $70 million opening. (Don't underestimate the power of Dr. Seuss. Also, Taylor Swift!) To find out if Mars (erm, Barsoom) can hold off the rest of the competition, lets take a look at Moviefone's Weekend Movie Preview.

What's the story: Based on the popular Edgar Rice Burroughs' series, "John Carter of Mars," "John Carter" is the first live-action feature film from Pixar vet Andrew Stanton ("Wall-E"). The movie follows John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), a Civil War soldier who gets mysteriously transported to Mars (it's called Barsoom in the story) and winds up in a battle to save its people. Willem Defoe co-stars as a Barsoomian named Tars Tarkas.

Box office prediction: Things aren't looking too good for "John Carter"; its unfocused marketing campaign isn't exactly drumming up a lot of excitement. Right now, the film is currently tracking to earn something around $25 million, not great for a movie with an estimated $250 million budget. $24 million

What's the story: Eddie Murphy's character, Jack McCall, loves to lie. However, after lying to a spiritual guru, Jack soon finds out that he has only 1,000 words left to speak before he dies. Hijinks ensue!

Box office prediction:It's Eddie Murphy's comeback movie! After slaying it as host of this year's Oscar's, the comedian will only be doing "Raw"-styled comedy from here on out. Expect a big crowd for this one. Eddie Murphy continues his "Norbit" phase. $11 million

What's the story: Elizabeth Olsen continues her "acting in creepy movies" trend with "Silent House." Here, she stars as Sarah, a young girl who visits her family's lake house, only to find herself trapped inside. Soon, very strange things start to occur.

Box office prediction: Despite the critical acclaim Olsen received for her role in "Martha Marcy May Marlene," not enough general moviegoers actually know her name. Still, the indie horror film could scare up some decent ticket sales; it's playing on a surprising 2,100 screens. $12 million

There are a whole bunch of limited releases out this weekend. The cast of "Bridesmaids" stars in the drom-com"Friends With Kids," Ewan McGreggor tries to do the impossible in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," Christian Slater fights an evil spirit in "Playback," spaghetti western fans will enjoy "Good for Nothing," and industrial music fans will be into the documentary "The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye." The last three films on the limited list include action-comedy "Bending the Rules," the WWII drama "Saviors in the Night" and the oddball comedy "Sound of Noise."